Amortal Song

Epilogue

Calypso

400 years...

"Did that really happen?" Caprice's pip-squeak, 4-year-old, voice spoke up. Her big, blue eyes studied mine, full of wonder and skepticism I had only ever seen in my pair of twins at their young age. She had a darker shade than my eyes, but the same light-hearted personality as Arden, the wispy streaks in her dirty-blonde hair a dark blue that defined her from her twin.

All elves seemed to have an air of beauty around them yet twins were rare so they always got the spotlight of attention.

"Why wouldn't it be?" I asked in return, smiling patiently when my daughter began thoughtfully tapping her chin. She looked like a mini Arden. "Of course that story is real, why would I lie to you? That's how your dad and I met."

My children had only heard the summary of the journey twice, three times now after they had demanded a reason why we were leaving the home tonight. No matter how many times I had said it would only be for one day, they wouldn't stop trying to wheedle at least a small bit of the truth out of me.

I wouldn't tell them the full story until they were older.

By then they would understand.

Caprice and Cadence had both just turned 4 and Archer, the baby boy of the family and the spitting image of Arden, was only 1. It had taken a while for Arden to convince me, and even longer before that to mend our frayed relationship. 400 hundred years was a long time but it had seemed to pass in a blink, with Arden by my side the whole time.

But all of it had been leading up to this time when the wrongs would finally be made right, and the story would finally be over.

"Is that why your name is Calypso?" Cadence's voice brought me out of my thoughts, her keen eyes looked into mine, sharp and intelligent. They were a unique shade of green, a shade that shifted to brown if it hit the light just right, the streaks in her hair more dark green than blue. She looked at me, "Because of that?"

I laughed, "Silly goose, my name is a type of song. It has nothing to do with that story."

Caprice pipped up, "An amortal song!"

"Immortal," I corrected out of habit. Arden had swayed the kids into still referring to me as being amortal, he said it was good for them to know their heritage. I agreed but it was still a harsh reminder sometimes.

It was yet another thing they would understand when they were older.

"Archer," I scolded as he began to pull on strands of my hair, pulling them out of the braid Caprice and Cadence had worked to weave. They had a knack at it and managed not to make a train wreck out of my hair or turn it into a bird's nest. I didn't understand how, they were only 4 after all, but I didn't argue.

The elves were powerful.

Beautiful.

Intelligent beyond any doubt, even the youngest.

"Where are we going?" Cadence asked, she was the analytical one after all, while Caprice tended to be the creative, whimsical twin. Archer was a mix but usually enjoyed getting into trouble or being outside in the sunshine, chasing the geese and coming back inside covered in feathers.

"Grandma Solekki is taking us in for the 24 hours." Cadence's face twisted into a look of horror while Caprice glowed with happiness. Both had their own opinions about Solekki-- both were also on different standings with her. Cadence had a...difficult time communicating with her, while Caprice was the polar opposite, not at all intimidated by her power.

Archer hadn't met her yet.

Nervously, I glanced out the window, watching the sun slowly begin to set over the horizon. I tried not to worry that Solekki wouldn't stay true to her word, but a part of me knew she still held a grudge against me. She had, after all, done many things in the past that had caused some trouble between Arden and me. But she wouldn't risk her grandchildren's lives, would she?

But as I watched the light starting to draw away, I couldn't help but worry, couldn't ignore the faint line of sweat running down my hairline, and the nervous glances I kept casting. "Arden?"

He strolled in, without a care in the world, dirt stains marking his once clean tunic. The twins raced over to him, grappling for his attention. He looked at me, "What's the matter?"

"Has your mother said...anything?"

"What?" Arden looked out the window, paling when he noticed that the sun was now a mere speck settling away from the dusky purple sky.

"Times going to run out."

"But Vespera won't, can't possibly-"

"She's going to," I said grimly, not trying to hide anything from the kids, who were looking at us with concern. Continuing harshly, I added, "Obviously your mother still hates me, or else she wouldn't be leaving us here to die."

"She's not."

"She is. If she cared she would have been here already and not letting night come!" I looked out the window, noting that the sky was nearly a velvet purple with the absence of the sun. "Arden, we have to do what's better for the kids."

"Where could we go that Vespera won't track us down?" Arden's voice had a hint of distaste in it.

I narrowed my eyes, the answer clear. "The place where the moon kisses the water."

"You don't mean-" He was interrupted by an earth-shaking shatter that seemed to come from the woods. The air around us seemed to chill, turning the blood in my veins to ice. But it wasn't as horrifying as the look Arden and I shared, knowing the time had come sooner than we had expected. The sun had only just set.

And Vespera was already back for her vengeance.

"Ogygia, now."

Caprice and Cadence clung to my legs and Archer wrapped his tiny arms around me, all three of them visibly shivering and shaken. Arden went to work, frantically pulling a portal into existence. Time was running out, we both knew that. The air kept getting colder and colder as if Vespera was drawing nearer with that horrid dagger of hers. "Hurry, Arden!" Another shake went through the ground, making my teeth shatter, and a crack split the floor.

The portal appeared, a gleaming, flickering neon white light that glowed in the darkness. Arden took Archer from me so that I could take hold of the twins trembling figures. He linked his free arm through mine and with a final, grim look, we stepped together into the light.

Vespera wouldn't get us now.

Not on the shores of Ogygia.

Not when we were together.